Locking mechanism for taximeter control levers



Get. 26 1926.

. F. W.'G. BRUHN LOCKING MECHANISM FOR TAXIMETER CONTROL LEVERS Filed March 21, 1925 3 Sheets-Shut 1 II [III @LM idwdw I a7 if Oct. 26, 1926.

F. w.- G. BRUHN LOCKING uncmmxsu'r'on TAXIIETER common LBVBRS Filed March 21, 1925 3 Shuts-Shut 3 Patented Get. 26, 1926.

UNITEDE STATES tsetse PATENT OFFICE.

FRIEDRICH wxniiriiiliit essT'A'v menu, on BnnLI N-wILMERsDoRF, GERMANY.

L'oo'KxNG itEcfiANIsiir Fee mailman ooN'rRoL LEVERS.

Application mad March 21, 1925, Serial no. 17,265, aid in Germany March 24, 1924.

This invention relates to a locking. mechanism for the control lever of a IQXIIHBIZGI', adapted to prevent cheatingon the part of the vehicle driver, especially to prevent the swinging back of the indicator aztteriantinitial to'rwardmovementot the indicator has been carried out, and furthermore toprevent the driver from throwing quickly by. mistake the indicator from its engaged position through the cash? position intoits-disengaged position, and,-fi'na:lly, to prevent the driver from suddenly moving the indicator; from the engaged position to the disengaged position and thence, just as suddenly, back into the engaged position.-

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the drawing in which only the back wall ot'the taximeter is shown together with the parts that cooperatewith the rotatable indicator when it is turned into its different positions. Themechanisms by which the distance covered by the vehicle and the time taken for the drives is measured for. the automatic calculation, indication and l checking of the fares to be paid and the mechanisms for setting the taximeter for various tariffs and for settlng' thetaximeter to its cash position, torm..no part: of 'the invention and are therefore omittedfrom thedrawing; 1 1 Fig. 1 shows the back of the taxi meter with the parts in the 'disen'gagedposition; In Fig. 2 the parts are shown with the rotatable indicator commencing its downward rotary movement as indicated by the arrow I. This downward .ro'tation.of the indicator cannot be continued beyond a certainpoint until the rotatable'signal has-been swungbackin the direction of the arrow II. In Fig. 3 the rotatable signalis shown swung down into its' horizontalwposition or engaged position (ta'riitI ).v The-rotation or setting of thetaximeter. torftarifls II: and III and the return movements from these positions can be'carri'ed out. in anydiesired manner and are not illustratedr In Fig. 4c the rotatable signal has been turned back, i. e. hasbeen turned inxthe direction of the arrow III-into thefc'ash position where,for a -tirne, itis-locked In Fig. 5 the-rotatable signal li'as been turned down "agai'mthat is has been turned in the direction of the arrow IV a short distance. V I

After a short rotary motion in the direction of the arrow IV the reversing of the double actinfg locking pawl is accomplished as illustratedin Fig,- 6. 1 a

In Fig.7 theparts are in a positionin which they enable the rotatable indicator to be turned upwards, that is in the direction of the arrow V, completely back into its up'rightiposition in which all parts assume the positions shownin Fig. 1 V7 p 8 is a side, View of a toothed sector pivoted Jon. the back wall of the taxi-meter which actsas a member for reversing the doilb'le aotii'ng looking pawl or detent. Fig. 9 is a side-view of the double-acting locking :Ipawl or rocking detent. I

a In 1%]: there are shown a back .wall l0;and.a casing 11 ofa tazsimeter accord ing .to the invention. -Journalled in the back wall10 a manually. rotatable indicator 12 which, when completely raised into its vertical position-as shown, strikes against a stop 13. F-1XECI-O11 theyshaft 14 ofthe indicator isa/four-lobed "star wheel. or cam 15,- which, together with a ,lBVGI'II'EthaUiS pressed down against the camhy aspringlti,forms a setting or centering-mechanism that effects the proper setting of the indicator in any of the four/positions: disengaged, mrifi" -I, tariff II, tariff III. Also fixed on the shaft 14; in a known manner is :a locking disk 18 which has, onapart of its periphery, a set of locking teeth 19and on another part of its periphery a seto-t oppositely directed locking teeth 20...Pivotally attachedto the back ,walllO sis arocking detent 21 which either engages with the teeth 19 by its tooth 22 or with the "other set of teeth 20 on the disk '18 by. it-stooth 23. ,A'spring dog 24 is arranged to 'coeoperat'e with the rocking detent 21 insnclramanner that when the latter is beyond -a certain position in the opposite direction thegdog 24 tends to keep the tooth 22 in engagement with the other set of teeth 19 of thedisk 18.

Arranged to rotate on one and the same pin or pivot 25 on the disk 18 are the following parts:

(1) The stepping pawl 26 which has a rearwardly extending fork. Between the prongs the fork is a pin 27 that is fixed to the disk 18. A spring tends to turn the stepping pawl 26 so that the right hand prong of the fork lies against the pin 27 Fixed to the stepping pawl 26 is an arm 28. The stepping pawl 26 lies in the plane or a toothed sector 29 that is pivoted on the back wall 10. \Vhen the manually rotatable indicator is turned downward the stepping pawl 26 engages with a tooth of the sectorshaped ratchet 29 and steps it around. Cooperating with the ratchet 29 is a strong friction spring 30 (see Fig. 8) which, although it does not prevent the ratchet from being stepped around holds it in any position into which it is forcibly turned. Attached to the ratchet 29 is a pin 31 which lies in the plane of the arm 28. The mechanisms described in this paragraph are for the purpose of reversing the rocking detent in one direction when the rotatable indicator is oscillated to and fro to accomplish a downward rotation of the same through a considerable angle.

(2) Also pivoted on the pin 25 is a sector-shaped reversing member 32 whose function it is to throw back the rocking detent 21 into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 after it has been reversed by the ratchet 29 into the position shown in Figs. 3, 4L and 5. A spring 33 tends to turn the sector-shaped reversing member 32 counterclockwise, but thisis prevented by a pin 35 on the arm 34 which keeps the reversing member 32 in its raised position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The reversing member 32 operates when the manually rotated indicator is oscillated to and fro prior to its being swung upward through a considerable angle.

Vhen the taximeter is in its disengage-d position all parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1. The tooth 23 of the rocking detent 21 engages the disk-shaped locking member 18 so that the indicator 12 can only be turned through a small angle in the direction of the arrow I into the position shown in Fig. 2, for when this position is reached the tooth 23 of the rocking detent will strike against a tooth 20 of the locking disk 18. By this short rotary movement of the indicator 12 the stepping pawl 26 is caused to step the ratchet 29 around one step. The-indicator must now be rotated back in the direction of the arrow II so as to cause the stepping pawl 26 to seize the next tooth of the ratchet 29. When the indicator is now rotated clockwise again, that is in the direction of the arrow I, the ratchet 29 is turned another step so that it strikes against the pin 36 on the rocking detent 21, thus causing the latter to rock into its reverse position in which its tooth 22 engages with the tooth 19. The pawl and ratchet 29 may also be arranged so that the indicator 12 has to be oscillated back and forth several times before the rocking detent 21 is tilted over into its reverse position.

When the rocking detent 21 has been reversed as described the indicator can be swung down into its engaged position, that is the position shown in Fig. 3. hen the indicator 12 is thus rotated the tooth 22 rides over the teeth 19 and prevents the indicator from being raised again during its transition into the horizontal position shown in Fig. 3.

Just before the indicator reaches the horizontal position shown in Fig. 3 a catch 34 strikes against a pin 37 fixed to the back wall 10. When the indicator is turned completely into its horizontal position (Fig. 3) the catch 34; is rotated around its pivot sufficiently to move the holding pin 35 out of the path of the extension at the left top corner of the sector-shaped reversing member 32 so that this latter can be turned through a small angle by the action of the spring 33. The indicator 12 can now be swung further around into the tariff II position or into the tariff III position and to and fro between these positions at will.

Assuming that the taximeter is now to be set to its caslr and disengaged positions, the indicator is swung in the direction of the arrow III into the position shown in Fig. 4. In this position a cam (not shown) fixed to the shaft 14 sets the taximeter by means of suitable intermediate mechanisms to its cash position. The indicator 12 cannot however be swung in the direction of the arrow III beyond this position because the tooth 22 of the rocking detent engages with one of the locking teeth '19 (see Fig. 4). But during the movement of the indicator into the position shown in Fig. 1, the sectorshaped reversing member 32 will have dropped behind the pin 38 on the rocking detent 21. lVhen the indicator is now turned through a short angle in the direction of the arrow IV (see Fig. 5) into the position shown in Fig. 6 the sect0rshaped reversing member 32 pushes the pin 38 downward and thus tilts the rocking detent 21 back into its former position as shown in Fig. 6, in which its tooth 23 engages with the teeth 20 of the locking disk 18. Further downward rotation of the indicator 12, that is rotation in the direction of the arrow IV, is thus prevented. But the indicator can now be turned up in the direction of the arrow V, seeFig. 7 into the disengaged position during which motion, on account of the engagement of the tooth 3 with the tooth 20 a downward rotation of the partly raised indicator is prevented. When the indicator is thus turned upward the arm 28 strikes against the pin 31 and thereby rotates the sector-shaped ratchet 29 back ntoits initial position shown in Fig. 1. Justbefore the indicator reaches its vertical position the sector-shaped reversing member 32 strikes against a pin39 fixed in the wall 10 and is thus rotated clockwise into a position in which it is held by the pin 35 of the catch 34:.

From the foregoing description and the drawing it is seen that all the requirements and advantages set forth in the opening statement of the specification are met and obtained by simple and reliable means without the aid of a separate clockwork.

I claim 1. In a device of the kind described, a manually rotatable indicator for indicating various conditions of the devlce, a rotary shaft on which said indicator is fixed, a locking member for locking said indicator, said locking member being fixed on said shaft so as to rot-ate with same and comprising two sets of oppositely operative locking teeth, a pivot, a rocking detent mounted on said pivot and provided with teeth at opposite sides of said pivot, the one tooth co-operating with one said set of teeth and the other tooth co-operating with the other said set of teeth, a spring tilting detent for holding the one or the other tooth of the rocking detent in engagement with the one or other set of teeth of the rotatable locking member, a pawl pivoted on the locking member, a rotary ratchet pivoted adjacent said locking member and having teeth engageable by said pawl, and means for throwing the locking detent out of engagement with the one said set of teeth on the locking member and thus releasing the manually rotatable indicator for a full downward rocking movement after said rotary ratchet has been rotated a plurality of steps by said pawl.

In a device of the kind described, a manually rotatable indicator for indicating various conditions of the device, a rotary shaft on which said indicator is fixed, a locking member for locking said indicator, said locking member being fixed on said shaft so as to rotate with same and comprising two sets of oppositely operative locking teeth, a pivot, a rocking detent mounted on said pivot and provided with teeth at opposite sides of said pivot, the one toot-h cooperating with one said set of teeth and the other tooth co-operating with the other said set of teeth, a spring tilting detent for holding the one or the other tooth of the rocking detent in engagement with the one or other set of teeth of the rotatable locking member, a pawl pivoted on the looking member, a rotary ratchet pivoted adjacent said locking member and having teeth engageable by said pawl, a friction producmg spring for keeping the rotary ratchet inany ,position into which .it'is setiby said pawl, and ,means {for throwing the 'locking detent out of engagement with the one said set of teeth on the locking member and thus releasing the manually rotatable indicator for a full downward rocking movement after said rotary ratchet has been re- 'tated a plurality of steps by said pawl.

3. In a device of the kind described, a manually rotatable indicator for indicating various conditions of the device, a rotary shaft on which said indicator is fixed, a locking member for locking said indicator, said locking member being fixed on said shaft so as to rotate with same and-comprising two sets of oppositely operative locking teeth, a pivot, a rocking detent mounted on said pivot and provided with teeth at opposite sides of said pivot, the one tooth cooperating with one said set of teeth and the. other tooth co-operating with the other said set of teeth, a spring tilting detent for holding the one or the other tooth of the rocking detent in engagement with the one or other set of teeth of the rotatable locking member, a pawl pivoted on the locking member, a rotary ratchet pivoted adjacent said locking member and having teeth engageabie by said pawl, means for throwing the locking detent out of engagement with the one said set of teeth on the locking member and thus releasing the manually rotatable indicator for a full downward rocking movement after said rotary ratchet has been rotated a plurality of steps by said pawl, and an arm fixed to said pawl for restoring the rotary ratchet to its normal position when the manually rotatable indicator is swung back into its initial position.

4-. In a device of the kind described, a manually rotatable indicator adapted to be swung from an initial position first into an engaged position and then back into a cash position, a rotary shaft on which said indicator is fixed, a locking member for looking said indicator, said locking member comprising two sets of oppositely operative locking teeth, a pivot, a rocking detent mounted on said pivot and provided with two teeth at opposite sides of said pivot, the one tooth co-operating with one said set of teeth and the other tooth co-operating with the other said set of teeth, a spring tilting detent for holding the one or other tooth of the rocking detent in engagement with the one or other set of teeth of the rotatable locking member, a pawl carried with said locking member, means operated by said pawl for throwing the locking detent from engagement with one said set of teeth into engagement with the other set of teeth of the locking member when the indicator is swung into its engaged position and for thus preventing the indicator from being swung back beyond its cash position, a

catch When the indicator has been sWnng completely down, and means for restoring the reversing member into engagement with 10 said catch when the indicator is swung back reversing member pivoted on the locking member so as to rotate therewith a spring tending to rotate the reversing member, a catch pivoted on the locking member for normally holding the reversing member into its initial position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

against rotation by said spring, means for releasing the reversing member from said 7 FRIEDRICH WILHELM GUSTAV BRUHN. 

